Greyhound trainer charged over alleged live baiting on eve of backflip on NSW ban

THE lawyer of a greyhound trainer facing animal cruelty charges has come up with an interesting response to allegations.

A GREYHOUND trainer facing animal cruelty charges has denied allegations of live baiting and his lawyer has suggested that a lure which omits the sound and smell of a rabbit could be to blame.

Chad Joseph Achurch, 27, appeared at Liverpool Local Court today after being arrested at his Cabramatta home on Monday for alleged animal cruelty.

Police found the images last month while investigating an unrelated matter and they show alleged animal cruelty that occurred at his Cabramatta address in August.

Mr Achurch, who is unemployed and allegedly a member of the Rebels Outlaw Motorcycle Gang, is a registered greyhound trainer and owner.

He was taken to Cabramatta Police Station where he was charged with two counts each of torturing and causing the death of an animal, committing an act of aggravated cruelty on an animal, and using an animal for training greyhounds.

It will be alleged the charges relate to the live baiting of greyhounds.

During a mention at Liverpool Local Court today, Mr Achurch’s lawyer Mark Rumore denied the claims, saying footage obtained by the police may have been improperly obtained.

He said his client had not seen the footage but it may have been downloaded by police while officers were investigating an unrelated domestic violence matter.

Facebook and Instagram photos of Chad Achurch - Greyhound Trainer charged over Live Baiting.

Mr Achurch handed his mobile phone to police voluntarily on September 28 to prove he had not breached an apprehended violence order taken out by his wife.

Mr Rumore said police may have downloaded other material at this time without his client’s permission.

The allegation of live baiting was ‘totally denied’ and Mr Rumore said his client had a lure that omits the sound and smell of a rabbit, which dogs attack ‘ferociously’. The ‘squealing’ rabbit is very lifelike and can be purchased at greyhound tracks.

Chad Achurch with his greyhound Kingston's Boy.

The timing of the arrest, almost two weeks after Mr Achurch handed his phone to police, and on the eve of a backflip on the NSW Government’s greyhound ban, was also questioned, with Mr Rumore telling reporters outside court that he found it “extraordinary”.

The NSW police prosecutor told the court the Director of Public Prosecutions hadn’t decided yet whether to pursue the case but a decision was likely to be made quickly because it was a high profile matter.

He denied the footage had been improperly obtained by police, saying he believed they had ‘seized’ the phone and it had not been handed in by Mr Achurch.

Magistrate Darryl Pearce decided not to grant bail, saying there was a strong case against Mr Achurch and if convicted he was likely to be jailed.

He also noted the alleged offence occurred during a time when cruelty to animals within the greyhound industry was well known, but “the offender was still doing it”.

Mr Achurch will appear in court again on November 23.

Achurch's father leaving Liverpool Local Court pic.twitter.com/iKP0RZsMM8

— Charis Chang (@CharisChang2) October 11, 2016

Achurch's sister says she supports her brother over greyhound live baiting allegations pic.twitter.com/2ARo7AfDJG

— Charis Chang (@CharisChang2) October 11, 2016

Meanwhile, in a case of awkward timing, New South Wales premier Mike Baird has confirmed his government will backflip on its controversial ban of the greyhound racing industry.

During a press conference today Mr Baird admitted that he got it wrong and the ban would be reversed.

“I previously didn’t think the industry could change, it is clear the community wants to give them the opportunity.

“Today I can announce the greyhound industry will be given one last chance. It will be given an opportunity to reform as it needs to.”

Baird said the industry had come up with a number of reforms and the government would be “ensuring the toughest animal welfare standards and regulation are put in place”, with a new body established to regulate dog racing.

“We are not returning to the status quo. The barbaric practices we have seen have to end,” he added.

Mr Baird pushed through tough measures banning greyhound racing earlier this year that saw his poll numbers plummet.

The Premier moved against the greyhound industry following a report that showed widespread animal cruelty in the industry.

Last year ABC current affairs show Four Corners revealed shocking footage of live piglets, possums and rabbits being used to “blood” greyhounds during secret race training sessions.

These animals were tied to mechanical lures that travel at high speeds around the track to act as bait for the dogs to chase and eventually kill.

In August, Mr Baird said the ban, under which greyhound racing would cease across NSW from July 1, 2017, wasn’t about political point scoring but that he was trying to “do what is right”. The ban came after a Special Commission of Inquiry report that found up to 68,000 “uncompetitive” greyhounds were slaughtered in the past 12 years and nearly one in five trainers used live animal baits.

Footage of live baiting from the Four Corners special investigation. Picture: ABC

Today’s cabinet meeting came after a Monday night meeting of Nationals MPs, who were reportedly considering unseating party leader and Deputy Premier Troy Grant if there wasn’t a policy reversal.

Nationals MPs Katringa Hodgkinson, Kevin Humphries and Chris Gulaptis — who consistently argued the ban would devastate their regional electorates — crossed the floor to vote with Labor to oppose the bill but it passed following a 12-hour debate.

Labor leader Luke Foley said the Baird government needed to commit to a complete reversal of the ban.

“It can’t just be a stay of execution to get Troy Grant’s leadership off the hook this week,” Mr Foley said.

It was expected Mr Baird would try to navigate out of the situation with a third option, such as extending the ban for a trial period while introducing tough industry standards, including harsher penalties for animal cruelty.

A report by Greyhounds Transition Taskforce head John Keniry was due to be handed to the government on Monday and presented to Tuesday’s cabinet meeting.

A recent Newspoll showed Mr Baird’s approval rate had slumped from 61 per cent to 39 per cent since December due to a number of issues, including the ban on greyhound racing and Sydney’s “lockout” laws.

Further information has been sought from the NSW Government.